前回のインタビューの続きを紹介します。
アディティは、ワシントンD.C.で政府の仕事をしています。
彼女がどのような大学時代を過ごし今の仕事に就くことになったのか、詳しく紹介しています。みなさんが、今後の人生のアイデアをここに見つけることができれば幸いです。
パトリック：それはよかった。とても重要なことですよね。僕は、自分の意志でないところで共和党として育ちました。ただ両親の方針に従っていたのです。僕の両親は社会的にはリベラルであり経済的には保守的と、本来の共和党支持者ではないように感じていました。
確かに、僕が17歳の頃、何を言ったか正確に思い出せませんが、僕が外国人に対する嫌悪を口にしたときアンドリューは僕の言葉を遮って、「パット、そうじゃないよ。君はそんな風に無知なことを言う人ではないだろ？」と言ったことがありました。これまで自分の意見に対しこのように強く言い返す人はいませんでした。僕が通う大学の学生のほとんどは共和党を支持していたので、共和党か民主党かなどは大学で議論されるようなことではなかった。大学の75％の生徒は問題なく生活を送る上層階級の白人で、君がいうように、そういったことに無関心で、社会で何かが起こっていてもあまり気にかけることはなかったですね。彼らは、自分たちがいるべき階級を理解していたのでしょう。 僕は、こういった考えが人々の生活に影響を与えていると思っていました。バージニア州シャーロッツビルで起こったティキトーチの事件を思い出しますよね。
アディティ：ああ、シャーロッツビルの事件ですね。
パトリック：クラスの誰かがそれを議題に持ち出して、「彼らがやりたいことをするのは彼らの権利であり、その行動について外から諭すべきではないと思う。」と言いました。僕は彼女に、政府が彼らを取り締まる必要があったのかについても問い正したい。でも、僕たちは同じ市民として、それぞれ言いたいことがあるわけです。もちろん、それは私たち市民のするべきこと。無関心と言論の自由を混同してはいけません。ですから、人々は自分と同じ意見を持つ人が多くいる所を選ぶのだと思います。
自分とは異なる人たちが多い学校に通うことで成長したと感じましたか？
アディティ：その経験がなければ、今の私はいません。繰り返しになりますが、物事をポジティブに考え、それらを成長過程の体験ととらえられるようになるまでにはかなり時間がかかりました。でも、自分自身興味深いアイデンティティが出え来たなと今は思っているので、ある意味では感謝しています。もし自分の考えと同じ人ばかりのいる大学に通っていたら、私はまったく違う人になっていたと思います。すごく良かったし、私自身がそれを最大限に活用できたことで後悔はありません。
パトリック：君はアイオワ出身でしたね。ネブラスカ州のクレイトン大学で、あなたの故郷の州の文化とつながる機会はありましたか？僕は、大学の近くでニュージャージーのテイラーハムとベーグルを提供する店を見つけました。その店はテイラーハムをニュージャージーから取り寄せていたようです。ぼくの家の味なんです。
アディティ：ネブラスカとアイオワはすぐ隣なので、そういった思い出はありませんね。たった2時間しか離れていなかったのですが、車を持っていなかったので頻繁には帰りませんでした。時々休暇や週末に家に帰りましたが、できるだけ帰らないようにして、授業にきちんと出席したかったんです。大好きなオバマ前大統領の家の周辺が私のお気に入りのエリアでした。
パトリック：僕の家族のビッグイベントは、日曜日の夕食に集まりパスタを食べることでした。新入生の年、僕はルームメイトを集めて家族としていたように日曜日に料理をしようとしましたが、あっという間にそれも終わり、ホームシックになりました。
オバマ前大統領と君自身の家族などをつなげるものはありましたか？
アディティ：残念ながらありませんでした。私自身がそういったことをあまり深く考えなかったことが後悔の一つでもあります。しばらく休業していた「desi」というインド系アメリカ人やインド人学生のクラブがありました。私はそこのクラブの一員ではなかったけれど、今思えばもう少し留学生や文化界に参加すれば良かったと思います。チャンスはたくさんあると思います。コミュニティに参加して、それを自分のアイデンティティの一部にすることができれば素晴らしいことだと思います。そして、私もそうすればよかったと今は思います。
パトリック：「desi」について説明してくれますか？
アディティ：今日、「desi」には“国”のような意味があります。インドのコミュニティのようなものです。
パトリック：君は、キャンパスで少数派だと言っていましたね。あなたのような立場の人は少なく、教授の75％が男性で90％が白人と言っていました。わかりやすくまた反体制的な人種差別や外国人を排除するような出来事などに直面したことはありますか？また、あなたが中西部にいる間にそういったケースは増加したと思いますか？
アディティ：中西部の人々は一般的に白人にとても親切です。私たちはしばらくテキサスに住んでいたことがありました。母はいつも「テキサスでは、あなたのような顔の人に対してみんな差別的だけど、アイオワでは、あなたの見えないところで差別的になる。」と言っていました。
これは興味深いところですね。結局のところ私は本当にラッキーで、そういった直接的な人種差別などを経験していません。男女差別や私が質問した教授からの時代遅れの考え方など、いくつかの「マイクロアグレッション」はありましたが。あからさまな出来事はなくてよかった。でもそういったものは私たちのキャンパスにもあるし、残念なことだけれど、いろいろな場所で見られます。私の経験が中西部にいることで悪化したとは思いません。どちらかといえば、私の経験では静かにしていれば、ほかのところより楽です。先入観などもあるかもしれませんが。みんなそれぞれ違う経験をしているのです。どこへ行っても、残念なことですが人種差別主義者やそういった悪い人間はいるのです。
パトリック：英語を勉強中の読者に「マイクロアグレッション」の意味を分かりやすく教えてください。
アディティ：「マイクロアグレッション」とは、人種差別主義者の考えや性差別主義者の考えを表す言葉で、少し怖くて攻撃的なイメージ。このような考え方がさらに偶発的に重なっていくことです。
パトリック：私たちの読者は、ほとんどが日本人です。もしも彼らが「マイクロアグレッション」を経験したとしたら、それは留学生だから？それとも有色人であるから？どちらだと思いますか？そういった扱いを受けたときそれにどう対処すべき？
アディティ：状況によると思います。「マイクロアグレッション」や人種差別的な行動を経験した時、誰もが何かを強制されたり義務付けられたりするのを感じるのはつらいことです。もしもそれが違うと思うなら無視すべきことではないでしょう。もし誰かががあなたに言った不快な言動について疑問に思うなら、あなたは無視しないほうがいいですよね。「マイクロアグレッション」の問題は、たいしたことではないように感じます。でも、何もしないでそれらが積み重なっていくと、その行動はパターン化されてしまいます。
要するに、誰かが教室で小さな性差別的な発言をしたときに誰もそれを気にしないでいると、教授などがそれを問題にしない限りそういった発言は繰り返されます。ええ、そうですねえ。やっぱり何もしないほうがいいとは言えません。アジアの文化の多くでは授業中などで質問をしないで、何かが起こっても平静にいるよう教えられていると思います。でもそれはアメリカの文化では通用しません。
移民や移民の子供たち、そして白人ではない人々がこの国で私たち自身の生活の理想を保つには、何かが起こった時には、私たちが声を上げないと、その悪い状況は続くのだと思います。それを止めない限りは。私たちが立ち上がらない限り、権力のある人たちが力を持ち続けるのです。
コロナの影響で、アメリカではアジア人やアジア系アメリカ人に対して多くの人種差別や暴力が発生していて、コロナをアメリカに「持ち込んだ」として、言葉による嫌がらせ、アジア人に対する身体的な嫌がらせが発生しています。あなたがそれを非難せず、人種差別と「マイクロアグレッション」のような考え方をこの世界的な感染症被害と切り離さなければ、そういった差別は続くのだと思います。
だからこそ、私たちはアジア人そしてアジア系アメリカ人として立ち上がり、今起こっていることを周知する必要があります。
パトリック：大学にいた頃のいい思い出はどんなことですか？
アディティ：大学の4年生のころがとても楽しかったですね。大切で素敵な友達とグループでいたからです。その頃は私が大学生活の中で最も大切にしている思い出です。彼らと一緒に過ごした時間は、ただみんなでつるんだり、パーティーに行ったり、実際には何もしないでただ時間を過ごしただけ。あなたが知っているアンドリューと一緒にバイトもしましたよ。ジムで一緒に働きました、滑稽で楽しくて大好きな思い出があります。
私は当時、「リプロダクティブ・ヘルス・ライツ」（英語: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, 生殖に関する健康と権利）の組織化に取り組んでいました。
「リプロダクティブ・ヘルス・ライツ」のための文化クラブ（アンダーグラウンドクラブ）を設立する取り組みについては自信があります。 大学4年生の時には自信を持てるようになり、その年に知り合えた充実した生涯の友だちもたくさんいます。
パトリック：大学で学んだ教訓を、私生活、また社会での人々とのかかわりに活かすことができましたか。
アディティ：そうですね。特に私の現在の仕事の中では、否定するだけではダメなことを学びました。信じる何かがあれば、それに向き合う方法が見つかります。そしてどんな時も同じ意見を持つ人がいるものです。
クレイトン大学には、キリスト教に反対したりすることで解雇されたり、非難される脅威にさらされてる教授や職員がたくさんいます。また彼らは私のような人たちを支援してくれまてもいるのです。そのクラブは今もなおそういったものと戦っています。私たちが自分たちの立場を守るために頑張ったように。私には素晴らしい仲間がいて支えてくれました。その時に私は自ら選んだ人たちとの関係を築いたのです。私が大切に思っていた教授や職員と自分が信じる者に対するある種の戦いが私がそこで学んだことであり、それが政治の世界です。その共通の利害のために戦うためには様々な形で共通する人たちがいる。だからこそ戦い続けることです。街頭で抗議する人、政府の議会にだってそういった存在は必要です。
そして、政治を変えたい人なども。政治や経済が機能するためにそういった人たちが必要であるように中立の立場の人たちの存在も重要です。大学でも同じことです。何かを訴える人もいれば、そこに同調する人たちも。それは間違いなく私が学んだ教訓です。さまざまな視点やさまざまな役割はすべて重要だと思います。
パトリック：コミュニティを作るのに、普段は話さないような人とも話すことが重要だと思いますか？
アディティ：私が住んでいる街の人たちの90％が民主党です。私の信じるものを否定する友達はあまりいませんが、大学時代に友達を作らなければ自分が信じることに共感しない人は多いです。そういった会話は私にとって本当に重要だったのですが。
大学のころ、木曜日の午後11時くらいにバーに行き午前1時でもReproductive Rights（性と生殖に関する権利）について語り合っていたら、関係ない客が話に入ってきて大変だったことがありました。私たちがそのバーに行くたびに、１か月くらい連続で、誰かの政治的議論に巻き込まれ、それが絶えず起こったことがありました。
なかなか経験できないようなことを経験できたならそれはありがたいことだと思います。大学では、実際には会うことがないような人たちに会うことができます。また同じ世代の多くの若者と同じ環境にない大学院で友達を作るのはとても難しいです。だから、普段話さないような人と話す機会がある大学生活というのは、最大限に活用するべきだと思います。
パトリック：あなたは今でも大学の友達と連絡を取っていますか？
アディティ：はい、よく取っています。お互い近くにいるときには集まっています。卒業した後に再会してからは個々に会っています。全員が同じ場所で会うのは難しいですから。
パトリック：政治的な話以外で大学の周辺で楽しかったことはどんなことでしたか？
アディット：外出することですね。私たちは街の中心に住んでいました。大都市ではありませんでしたが、人も多く住んでいる地域でいろんな楽しみ方がありました。いろんなところにアクセスもしやすかったです。小規模のキャンパスでしたが、小さすぎずちょうどいいサイズだったので動きやすかったです。
パトリック：ネブラスカ州とアイオワ州がとても似ていることについて話しました。また、教会や大学などの影響からクレイトン大学は独自のサブカルチャーを持っていました。キャンパスが大学の外からの文化を反映していたかどうかについての具体的な例やその重要な要素について教えてください？
アディティ：クレイトン大学は、2つの非常に異なる民族が暮らすエリアの中間にある大学です。長い間続く人種の問題により意図的に高速道路によって分割されています。クレイトン大学は、黒人の地域とラテン系の地域のちょうど真ん中にあります。
クレイトン大学は、よりよいコミュニティの形成のために長い間力を注いできました。その取り組みにはよかった点と悪かった点の両方があります。イエズス会という機関には深刻な問題があると思っています。去年の夏には私はここにいませんでしたが。イエズス会はすべての人の支援をする機関ですが、黒人のコミュニティにいる場合、「ブラック・ライヴズ・マター」についての支援はできません。
イエズス会やジャスティスセンターの活動は素晴らしく、市民でもとりわけ難民や移民のコミュニティとの関係を長きにわたり構築しており、献身的な学生のスタッフがたくさんいてイエズス会の理想を実現し、素晴らしい活動をしています。
でも、状況によってはスタッフの管理に反映されないことがあり、学生たちの考えの中で葛藤することもあります。コミュニティとの相互作用については非常に複雑だと思います。
パトリック：将来的にあなたはどのようなチャンスがあればいいと思いますか？
アディティ：私は2、3年今の仕事について学んで来ました。まだゴールなどにはたどり着いていませんが、ビジネススクールにも通ったので常に上を目指し次のタイトルを獲得したいという意欲があります。その考え方は、政治の世界ではごく当たり前で、みんな常に上を目指しています。はじめにも言ったように、「2年が経っちゃった。新しい仕事を探さなくちゃ」とも感じています。新しい仕事もしたいですが、そういったことでのプレッシャーも大きくなってきています。
1年を少し過ぎたころに、みんな次のゴールについて考え始めます。1年半は大丈夫だけれど、そのあとには次の段階に進んで行きます。特にこの業界では若いうちは思うより早くその段階は進みます。上の職に就くと、人はたいてい同じポジションをキープします。20年間同じ仕事をしている父の仕事と今のわたしの仕事はとても違います。
大学時代はいい調子でした。私はこのような形のポジションにつなげるためのインターンシップをしました。同じ仕事を何年か続ける必要がありますが、最終的には何か目標を達成したいと思っています。今はその予定はありません。健全な職場環境で尊敬できる人たちから学ぶことができるこの仕事を続けていきます。
私にとって、肩書や周りからどう見えるかということよりも私自身がどのように感じるかのほうがはるかに大切です。ちゃんと学んでいるだろうか、そして組織に貢献できているだろうかなど。私の現在の仕事はとにかく最高です。私はとてもラッキーだと思います。私は、こういったことを常に優先し続けていきたいです。こういう思いは、私のLinkedInのプロフィールや彼らが私についてどう思っているかを見ている人のためではなく、私自身のためです。
他にできる重要なアドバイスは、あなたがしている仕事について知識を持ち、お給料についても自分で交渉するということです。たいていの女性はこういったことをしないのです。特に有色人種の多くの人が仕事をさせてもらえることについて光栄に思うべきだと考えているのです。
あなたに仕事のオファーがあったなら、それはすでにあなたを望んでいるという意味なのだから交渉もできるのです。あなたの対価をよく調べ知って欲しいです。自ら主張するワザを学ぶのです。私は二つの仕事でお給料の交渉をし成功しました。私が交渉しなかったら結果は違っていたと思います。私は、これまでに交渉をしたことがない多くの人と出会いました。実際交渉しなかったからといって間違いではないのですが。
誰にもそういったことを教わらず、誰もその価値についても話していないのでしょうから。あなたが就職する時にそういったことを知っていることは大切だと思います。でも新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で経済が機能しないような時にはうまくいかないこともあります。今は交渉は難しいですが、試す価値はあります。
パトリック：最後の質問は、「アディティ、あなたなら新入生にどのようなアドバイスをしますか？」というものです。他に追加したいことがあれば、ぜひ。
アディティ：私は新入生に、「大丈夫。あなたはあなたとつながる人を見つけ、キャンパスであなた自身を見つけられますよ。」と伝えたいです。その足がかりを見つけるのに私は少し時間がかかりましたが、見つけてよかったと思っています。
パトリック：そうですか。これまで触れていないことや、外国からアメリカに来る学生のために強調したい重要なことはありますか？
アディティ：そうですね。アメリカの大学の素晴らしいところは、コミュニティを見つけるための場所がたくさんあり、多くの選択肢があることだと思います。自分の学部であろうとクラブであろうとコミュニティの組織であろうと、何にしてもいろいろ試して試行錯誤してください。いつでも自分に合う人たちを見つけることができると思います。でも見つけられなかったとしても問題ありません。違う場所を見つければいいのです。最も重要なことは、学校の名前や専攻ではありません。自分が成長するための快適な環境を見つけることです。居心地のいい場所を見つければうまくいきます。それが最も重要なことです。子供が通う学校のブランドを優先して、時間や労力を費やしすぎている人や家族がたくさんいることを私も知っています。ハーバード出身の失業者もいれば、公立学校出身の会社員もいます。実はブランドはそれほど重要ではありません。
いろんなことが起こります。成功の方程式などはありません。それはすべて自分自身と自らの環境に起因しているのです。まあ、たいていは問題なく進みます。もしそうならなくても手を差し伸べてくれるものがあります。そ助けを求めることを恐れないでください。心を健康に保つようにしてください。
パトリック：確かに。90％の人はバラ色の大学生活を想像しているはずです。あまりいい経験がないからといって何か間違ったということはないです。大学は難しい。悲しくなることもあるでしょうし困難にぶち当たることもある。それを乗り越え、そこから抜け出すことはできます。
アディティ：特に最初の2年間は、カウンセラーなどに頼ることです。私は頼らなかったのです。大丈夫だと思ったのではなく、それほど大変ではなかった。でも振り返ってみると、もっと早い段階で物事を上手く進められたかもしれません。スピードの問題というわけではありませんが、誰かに助けてもらうことができれば、より早く良い場所にたどり着けたのだと思います。一見小さな問題であっても、学生心を支えてくれます。助けを求めて手を差し伸べれば、誰かがあなたのためにそこにいる。
アディティ、私たちと話す時間を割いてくれてありがとう。このインタビューを読んでいるすべての人に、自身を持って声を上げてほしいです。大学に進学すると、友達、クラスメート、教授と一瞬一瞬を過ごすことがとても楽しくなります。専攻や授業に対し一生懸命考えることで、いろんな状況に適用することを学びます。何が起こっても大丈夫。すべて上手く行きます。そうやって人生は続いていきます。
原文紹介
Hey everyone, お久しぶり. We have a treat for you this month. Today we’re sitting down with Aditi, a long-time friend of mine from the United States who works in politics in Washington D.C. Aditi and I discuss walking your path and finding your voice in college. Go to school with one plan, then change your mind, and change it again. Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. This has been one of my favorite conversations so far, every response is saturated with joy, levity, and wisdom. I hope you enjoy!
Patrick: Hi, this is Patrick Mclelland, recording interview number three for Atelier Collegial with the lovely and wonderful Aditi. If you would introduce yourself and give us a short version of how you got to D.C. and your current work life?
Adit: Sure, so my name is Aditi, I grew up in the Midwest, in Iowa, and then I went to college at Creighton University in Nebraska and I majored in economics and minored in public policy. And then I did a bunch of internships in the political field when I was in college. I met a lot of great people and had a lot of good experiences discerning what I wanted to do. And that’s how I ended up in D.C., working in various political jobs and for the government.
Patrick: Oh, I didn’t know you were from the Midwest.
Adit: Oh?
Patrick: We never talked about where you were actually from in the U.S. I just knew that you went to Creighton.
Adit: Oh, weird. Yeah, I’m from Iowa.
Patrick: Was going to Creighton even that much different than being in Iowa?
Adit: Yes and no. Because Creighton, well you know like the Catholic-Jesuit thing was so big. So, that was very different for me. But it was two hours from home. The culture was not all that different.
Patrick: Yeah. Wow. Are you or is your family particularly religious at all?
Adit: No, not at all. I mean I was raised Hindu but I’m personally not religious at all.
Patrick: Yeah, yeah. I was “raised Catholic” but that’s a very common thing with adult Catholics. If you ask someone, if they’re Catholic, they’ll say, “well, I was raised Catholic” because nobody stays Catholic. Nobody wants to. So why did you go into economics?
Adit: I kind of ended up in economics. And I changed my major a couple of times when I was in college. I thought I wanted to do a business law program. And then I thought I wanted to do health care policy. I kind of settled on economics through that path, kind of deciding, after taking some classes, what I liked and what I didn’t like. I like the general fields of economics and it was a good baseline for understanding how the world of capitalism works, but, you know, to be honest, it didn’t have much to do with my current career and my internships did a lot more for me in that regard.
Patrick: Oh? So do you think it’s important to have a more general major and then specialize with a minor and internships, or do you think people should kind of go hard in the paint from the beginning?
Adit: I think everyone’s journey is up to them. And what works for you works for you. You know, there are some hard science fields that, of course, make more sense to be as specific or do research that’s as specific as possible. But for some of the liberal arts majors and fields, I think the skills that you gain from them are more important than the content. I think that especially for liberal arts fields, it’s the applied skills that you can transfer to a work experience.
So the kind of general rigor and organization skills that you get from specifically being an Economics major and how it makes you think in terms of efficiency and productivity and things like that can be very helpful. But I think it’s completely normal and acceptable to change your mind once you’re in college and you realize what you like and don’t like. You should not feel restricted by what major you enroll with if that’s not the right journey for you.
Patrick: I can relate to that because even in theater, like, I never really wanted to be an actor, but I just enjoyed doing theater. It was very teamwork-oriented. It’s all about creative problem-solving. How to learn to be reliable and learn to be disciplined. Those are the things that helped me go abroad and find a job or any kind of motivation at all came from studying those principles in theater.
So what was your favorite class?
Adit: I had an international development class that was in my major, taught by my favorite professor. She was fantastic and really smart and it was economic development policy in an international setting. And it was hard and really interesting. We had great discussions. And I just thought it was a different caliber of instruction that I hadn’t received before, and it was really meaningful to me that it came from an incredibly smart woman, which was… I think in the business school, wasn’t all that common to see. I mean the numbers reflected that female teachers were in the minority, and so it was even more impactful for me that the class was taught by a female professor.
Patrick: Do you find that as a woman of color, it was important for you to see yourself reflected in your faculty?
Adit: Yes. And even to this day, it’s still not as good as it should be. When I was there (at Creighton University), the faculty was twenty-five percent female and 10 percent non-white. I only had one class, it was my senior year, that was taught by an Indian American woman. That only happened once where I was reflected in the faculty of my, you know, six classes a semester, for eight semesters when I was in school, that was the only time that I felt reflected. And so I think people who are either international students or just who are not white will have to face that and just be prepared that depending on the institution that you attend, those experiences are going to be different for you.
Patrick: Yeah, I think we had two openly gay professors on my campus and that was like all there was. And of course, they were only in the theater and arts department. Outside of that, I found that what made it easier was that because I’ve always been more comfortable around women, when I had a female professor, it was always a more comfortable connection in the classroom. My one philosophy professor, she’s the reason I even stayed in philosophy because she was just so warm and open and easy to connect with.
Did you have any professors like that, that you not necessarily saw yourself reflected in, but felt comfortable around or asking advice from? And also, were there any professors that you felt particularly put off by for any reason? You don’t have to name anyone, but were there any instances that you could share with us?
Adit: Yeah. There was one professor that I had for a sophomore year economics class that I didn’t like, I just did not think that he was a very good teacher, but he had charisma and that made him connect with a lot of students. And I was one hundred percent in the minority for thinking that he had no substance to his teaching, but we did have a good relationship because he liked that I argued with him and that I actually kind of gave it back to him and understood what he was talking about. We had good rapport and he very much respected me, even though I did not like anything he had to say and he didn’t like anything I said either. So I have had other professors who have said some microaggressions to me or to people that I know, nothing egregious. I’m lucky to have not experienced that. Honestly, when you have an entire faculty who have all had very similar life experiences and similar privileges, that’s something you’re going to encounter.
Patrick: What do you wish you had known before you went to college and got into social situations that maybe you hadn’t been prepared for while in high school?
Adit: This is going to be an experience kind of specific to Creighton. But I didn’t anticipate how conservative and apathetic the student body would be. I talked to people who had gone there, but they were people who did not hold their values so close to them as I do for myself. I think religion centers a lot of people, and that does not do it for me. I’m centered by myself, by my political values and beliefs because they relate directly to the human rights that I believe in. And a lot of students, when they were 18, didn’t care about that stuff.
I found it such a struggle to find people that identified with the same things that I did. I distinctly remember Andrew being two doors down from me my freshman year and I was so desperate to find other people who thought the way that I did, I was just asking people whether they were Democrats or not. I asked him and he was like, “Yeah, of course, isn’t everyone?” And I said, “No, this is Nebraska. Like, no, everyone isn’t.” It took me until junior year to have a core group of friends who all thought kind of the same way that I did, whereas I think it was much easier for people who weren’t as politically involved or aware to find their community early on.
And I will say, it’s gotten better since I’ve left. That’s especially been triggered by a Trump presidency and the constant need to organize against him. But the general environment of Creighton was so politically apathetic that it was very, very hard for me.
I can’t even tell you how different my mindset is now that I’m in a place where I don’t have to question whether the people around me believe in my human rights all the time. I feel like I could be in almost any social circle in the city and be like, “OK, they’re either A) other people that look like me or B) people that believe in the same things I do.” And I don’t have to tiptoe around other people to not offend them. I think overall, finding an environment that fits you is really important.
I did not anticipate how much my college environment would not fit me. I made it fit me by the end, I embraced it and I was like, “OK, well, if this is the environment that I’m going to be in then I’m going to do something to change it.” And that’s what I did all of college. I used student government, the clubs that I was in, and the clubs that I founded to MAKE a voice for myself and give myself a brand of “that political girl” who wore the birth control costume on campus.
Like people know me for that. I’m really proud of that. It took a long time to get to that place.
Patrick: Yeah, that’s awesome and that’s important. For me, I was raised Republican, which means that I didn’t actually hold any real beliefs or opinions. I just kind of regurgitated what my parents said. And they were “socially liberal, economically conservative”, kind of like not real Republicans. So when I was around 17 years old, I can’t remember exactly what xenophobic thing I said but Andrew interrupted me and said “Pat, shut up. You know, that’s not true. You know, you’re not the kind of person who says ignorant stuff like that.” I thought to myself, “Oh man, no one’s ever actually, pushed me on anything I said before” and immediately I was like, “oh damn,” that’s a bad opinion I have. So like he turned me blue, but I also didn’t realize how important that stuff is in college because my campus was completely red. Seventy-five percent were upper-middle-class white people who weren’t overtly problematic on campus, but they were like you’re saying, super apathetic, whenever anything socially would happen, they just didn’t care. They were like, “oh, I have a class to get to.” “Yeah, it’s not that big a deal. It’s fine like whatever.” And I was like, this affects people’s lives y’all. I remember the incident in Charlottesville, Virginia with the tiki torches.
Adit: Oh my God. Yeah. Charlottesville, yeah.
Patrick: Someone in class brought that up and she was like, I mean it’s their right to do what they want and I don’t think we should be able to tell them what they should and shouldn’t do. I was like, girl, let me tell you, should the government clampdown on them? Maybe not. But should we as fellow citizens have something to say about it. Of course, that’s our job as citizens. Like you’re conflating your apathy with freedom of speech. So people need to choose somewhere that they are going to align.
But did you feel that you were able to grow by attending a school that was so different from who you were as a person?
Adit: I wouldn’t be who I was today without that experience. Again, it took me a long time to see it as a positive and make it into a positive growth experience for myself. But I’m very grateful for it because I think I created a very interesting identity for myself. I think that I would be a very different person if I had gone somewhere else that aligned with my beliefs. I’m very grateful and I don’t regret how I made the most of it.
Patrick: You are from Iowa. Were there any opportunities at Creighton, in Nebraska to connect back with your home state culture? For me, I found a place that served New Jersey Taylor Ham and bagels. They had it imported from New Jersey. That was my, like, taste of home.
Adit: I mean, Nebraska and Iowa are right next to each other. There’s not much culture to remind myself of. I didn’t go home a lot, even though it was only two hours away. I didn’t have a car. I only went home for breaks or a random weekend, but I tried not to go home too much and make sure that I was being present AT school. I found my own Omaha neighborhood favorites that I loved.
Patrick: It’s big in my family to have Sunday dinners and pasta gatherings. Freshman year, I used to try to get my roommates together and cook on Sundays, a family thing. It quickly fizzled away and it kind of made me homesick and a little sad. Were there any opportunities for you to connect with your family culture, your heritage in Omaha?
Adit: Not really, but not to anyone’s fault. That’s I guess one thing I regret is I didn’t seek that out very much. There was a very small, desi Indian-American-Indian students club that was dormant for a while. I just wasn’t a part of it. But I do wish I could have involved myself in the international student and cultural community a little bit more. But honestly, there weren’t that many of us, so it was just kind of hard. Overall, I think those opportunities exist in a lot of places. If you feel comfortable joining that community and making that a part of your identity, I think that’s great. And I kind of wish I’d done that.
Patrick: Could you explain what desi is?
Adit: These days it means like it means country. And so it’s like the Indian community.
Patrick: As you said, you were in the minority on campus. There weren’t many people with your heritage to connect to and the professorship was 75% male and 90% white. Did you ever face any overt or subversive racism or xenophobia? If so, do you think it was exacerbated by having been in the Midwest?
Adit: The weird thing about the Midwest is people are generally very nice to your face. We lived in Texas for a little bit and my mom always said “In Texas, people are racist to your face. But in Iowa, they’ll be racist behind your back.”
So it’s kind of funny. I mean, I’ve been really lucky. I have not experienced any sort of direct racism or xenophobia, there were some microaggressions, mostly about gender and the antiquated beliefs from professors that I questioned. I was lucky to not have incidents of anything blatant happen to me. I know they did happen on our campus and they happen, unfortunately, in a lot of places. I don’t think anything I experienced was exacerbated by being in the Midwest. If anything, people stay quiet, in my experience, a little bit easier than people from other places. But that’s a stereotype. And I know that everyone has different experiences. No matter where you go, unfortunately, there are racists and bad people.
Patrick: For our readers who may not be as versed in English yet, what is a microaggression?
Adit: A microaggression is something that is a slight that represents a racist idea or sexist idea or like something small, that feels a little weird and offensive and it piles up the more that these types of things happen.
Patrick: Do you think that if someone experiences a microaggression, being a foreign student or a person of color because all or most of our readership is Japanese, do you think it’s important to put a stake down against the aggression, or do you think it’s better to push it under the rug or brush it off your shoulder?
Adit: I think it depends on how comfortable the student is about dealing with the situation. I don’t think anyone should ever feel forced or obligated to do anything if they feel like they have experienced a microaggression or racist behavior. But if people feel comfortable then they shouldn’t push the situation under the rug if it’s wrong. If you feel comfortable bringing it up and questioning why someone said something offensive to you, then you should do so. That’s the problem with microaggressions, they feel so small.
But when they pile up, they reflect a pattern of behavior. And so if someone makes a slightly sexist comment in the classroom and no one questions it, that professor is going to keep on saying that sexist idea until someone brings it up. And so, no, I don’t think you should do nothing. I do think that commonly, many Asian cultures are taught to not question authority and keep quiet when things happen. And frankly, that’s just not American culture. If immigrants and children of immigrants and people who are not white keep on perpetuating those ideals for ourselves in this country we… I struggle with this a little bit because I don’t think that we should be forced to play by American culture or anything like that, but unfortunately, when we don’t speak up, bad things keep on happening and so unless we put a stop to it. Unless we stand up for ourselves, people in power will perpetuate their power.
Because of COVID, there’s been a lot of racism and violence happening against Asians and Asian-Americans in the United States that has reduced to verbal harassment, physical harassment against Asians for “bringing” COVID to the United States. If you don’t condemn those ideas and divorce the notion of racism and xenophobia from this very real public health disaster, then those things will keep on happening.
So that’s why we have to stand up for ourselves as Asians and Asian-Americans and report those things and make sure people know these things are happening.
Patrick: What’s your favorite memory from college?
Adit: I loved my senior year of college because I had a lovely friend group that I had come to love and enjoy and cherish. Those are the memories I cherish most from college, the times I spent with them just goofing around, going to parties, or just like hanging out and not really doing anything. Or, you know, I worked with Andrew and I had like, so many weird fun memories of just working together at the gym.
That’s when I did a lot of my organizing work on reproductive rights. I was really proud of all that work that I did to found an underground club to fight for reproductive rights and sexual health. I just think it’s not one thing in particular, but just overall, I was very confident in myself senior year. And I have a lot of fulfilling lifelong friendships that I formed in that year.
Patrick: What lessons did you learn in college and how did you apply them to your personal life or how you interact with people socially?
Adit: Yeah, I think that especially in my organizing work, I learned that, like, taking no for an answer wasn’t good enough. That if you believe in something, you can find a way to fight for it, and whatever environment you’re in, there will be people who agree with you, whether they scream it from the rooftops or they’re silently giving you support and praise.
There are a lot of professors and staff and people at Creighton who believed in the things that I did but were at risk of getting fired or reprimanded for doing so because those opinions were so against the administration and like the Catholic Church institution. Right. But those are people who supported us and that (reproductive rights) club is still going and those people are still fighting with those people’s support. People who said it couldn’t be done because “it was a Catholic campus” and because “X, Y, Z,” and because “that would never happen.”
Like we made things happen because I stood my ground and I fought for it. I had amazing friends and allies on my side who helped me. Then I identified and built relationships with people. Professors and staff and other people that I cared about, so kind of fight for what you believe in is something that I learned that is the core of the entire political world. Keep on fighting because there need to be people on all parts of the spectrum fighting for that common cause. There need to be people who are protesting in the streets, and there need to be people at the table of making legislation in our government.
And there need to be people who want to bring the government down and there need to be people who are moderates like there need to be all of those people for this entire political economy to work. And that is the SAME thing in college. There needs to be people who are there to be persuaded and there needs to be people who are putting themselves on the line for their cause. So that’s definitely a lesson that I’ve taken into. My career, kind of, and just like a social movement. Different perspectives and views and roles are all really important.
Patrick: Is it important to put yourself out there a little bit more than maybe you normally would have and, like, talk to people you may not normally have spoken to to create that community in the first place?
Adit: It’s interesting, because now where I live the city is like 90 percent Democratic. I don’t have any friends anymore who don’t believe what I believe, but in college, I had tons of friends who didn’t believe what I believed because if I didn’t make friends with them, I would have no friends for a while. Those are really important conversations for me.
In college, I would be at a bar at like 11:00 p.m. on a Thursday. Then it’s 1 am and we’re talking about reproductive rights and birth control in the bar. I’m talking about that with someone who I would not normally have that conversation with, just a random guy, and that just happens. It was really weird. There was a month where every time we went to that bar, like for a month straight, I got into some sort of political argument with someone and it would happen constantly.
Yeah, I think you should put yourself out there and be grateful for having experiences that you would not have in the real world bubble. In college you can meet all of these people that you probably wouldn’t meet in real life. And honestly, making friends post-grad is a lot harder because you’re not in the same environment as all these other young people who are kind of in the same stage of life. So that’s the best time to put yourself out there and make the most of it.
Patrick: Are you still in contact with any of your friends from college?
Adit: Oh, yes, very much so. When we’re in the same places we get together. I’ve gotten together with a lot of my close friends. We did a reunion after we graduated. And then many of us have seen each other individually since then. It’s just hard to get us all in the same place.
Patrick: What was the fun thing to do in your area, like in the college area? I mean, besides having political arguments.
Adit: One thing to do is just like going out. We were in the heart of a city. It was not a big city but there were distinct neighborhoods that people went to and lived in which was kind of nice to get some variety. Everything was fairly accessible. Overall, that was good, and we had like a smallish campus, but it wasn’t too small, so that was nice, but there were definitely places to go to.
Patrick: We talked about how Nebraska and Iowa were like one place and then Creighton had its own subculture because of the influence of the church and the college in general. Were there more specific ways you think the campus was or wasn’t reflective of the culture outside of the college? Do you think that’s an important factor?
Adit: Creighton is located in between two very distinct ethnic neighborhoods. The neighborhoods have been racially segregated for many years, purposefully done so by transportation officials and split by the highway. Creighton is smack in the middle of a black neighborhood and a Latinx neighborhood.
The college has been working for many years to reconcile and do their part for community involvement. There are ways in which I think they’ve done a really good job. And there are ways that they have not done a good job. Because I haven’t been there during this past summer. I think that there are serious issues with an institution that’s Jesuit and supposedly cares for everyone but won’t come out with strong, fervent support of Black Lives Matter when they’re right next to a community that is all black. There are some ways in which there their service and justice center, which is fantastic and has built standing community relationships with people all over the city, especially in refugee and immigrant communities, and has a lot of dedicated student staff who care about the community and giving back and actually living up to Jesuit ideals, they have done a great job.
But then there are other ways in which that diversity is not reflected within their staff administration. And in the ideas that they support from students that can be frustrating. So it’s very mixed, I think, in how they interact with the community.
Patrick: What opportunities do you see for yourself in the future?
Adit: I’ve learned in a couple of years of working, being in the working world, that especially because I went to business school, even though I did not end up doing anything in business, per se, there’s a drive to constantly be climbing up the ladder and getting the next title. That mentality is very prominent within the world of politics, always moving up. And, you know, like I said, at the beginning of this conversation, like, “oh, it’s been about two years, like I should find a new job.” I’m doing that partly because I do want a new job but that pressure starts ticking.
The minute you hit a little bit over a year, you kind of start thinking about it. A year and a half you’re like, OK, you’re going to the next place. Especially when you’re so young when you’re a junior in this field you move up a lot faster. Once you get to the senior roles, people stay there forever. I’m very unlike my dad who’s been at the same job for 20 years, that would never happen here in this field. When I was in college, I was like, OK, I’ve done these internships that will connect me to these types of positions and I have to stay in this type of job for X amount of years, and then I want to eventually meet my goal. Now I’m like, there’s no plan, I have no plan. I’m just going to keep on doing jobs that allow me to learn from people that I respect and be in healthy working environments.
For me, it’s much less about what title I have or how my position looks from the outside as opposed to how I feel. Am I learning and am I feeling good about myself and what I’m contributing to the organization? I’m so lucky that my current job is really, really good and so was my last job. I’ve been very lucky to have great jobs and that’s what I want to continue to prioritize. Not for the sake of anyone looking at my LinkedIn profile and what they think about me, but for myself.
My other huge piece of advice is to know your work and negotiate your salary. Again, too many women don’t do that. Too many people of color don’t do that because we think that we should be so honored to even receive a job offer.
If they’ve given you an offer for a job, you can negotiate because they want you already. Do the research, know what that position pays. Learn how to advocate for yourself. I’ve negotiated both of my salaries at both of my jobs, and they have turned out successful. And if I wouldn’t have, it would have been different. I meet too many other people my age or older than me who have never done that before. It’s not their fault, not any moral failing.
It’s that no one has taught them how to do that and no one has told them that they are worth it. That’s important to know when you do get a job and there are situations where it’s just not possible like COVID has screwed up the economy. So it’s hard to negotiate anything now, but it’s worth it. It’s worth asking for.
Patrick: That kind of covered the last question, which was “what advice would you give to freshman year Aditi?” If you have anything else you’d like to add, please do.
Adit: I think for freshman me, I would say, It’ll be OK. You will find people that become your community and you’ll make a name for yourself on the campus. It took me a while to find that footing, but I’m glad I did.
Patrick: Awesome. If there’s anything we didn’t touch on that you would like to touch on or anything important you wanted to highlight for students coming into America from a foreign country, to people of color, to the young women, or just to the people in general that you want to connect with.
Adit: Sure. I think the great thing about American University is that there’s a lot of resources for you to find community and there’s a lot of room for you too. Try things and change your mind, whether that be your major or clubs or community organizations or whatever. You will always be able to find your people. And honestly, if you can’t, that’s OK. It’s OK to change your mind and go somewhere else. The most important thing is not the name of the school or necessarily even your major. It’s about finding a healthy and happy environment for you to thrive. If you’re in an environment that you love, you will do well. That’s what’s most important. I know a lot of people and families who spend way too much time and energy prioritizing the name brand of the school that their kids went to. That is not important because there are people who went to Harvard who are unemployed and there are people who went to a state school who are employed.
All those different scenarios happen. No situation will provide you a winning formula for success. It’s all dependent on you and your environment and it’s not a product of what you pay for or where you get in.
Yeah, generally you will all be fine. And if you’re not, there are resources to help you. REALLY take care of your mental health, because those resources are there for you and you should use them and don’t be afraid to ask for help, too.
Patrick: Yeah. I think people look at college with too rosy of glasses 90 percent of the time. If you’re not having the best experience ever, then you’re doing something wrong. And that’s not true, college is hard. You’re going to be sad. Shit’s going to hit the fan, but you can work through it or get out of it.
Adit: I probably could have benefited from seeing a counselor or something, especially my first two years. I never thought about it. It wasn’t that I thought that it wasn’t OK, it honestly never crossed my mind, but looking back, I probably would have done better, faster. Not that it’s about speed, but I probably would have gotten to a better place quicker if I’d had someone to help me. So normalize mental healthcare for students, even over seemingly small problems. Reach out for help. Someone is there for you.
Thank you so much to Aditi for taking the time to speak with all of us at Atelier. To everyone reading, keep your head held high and use your voice. If you don’t speak up for yourself, then who will? When you take college one step at a time you will have so much more fun living moment-to-moment with your friends, classmates, and professors. Focus on the big general ideas behind the different majors and classes, then learn to apply them to any situation. No matter what happens you will be okay. Everything will be okay. Life goes on.
